Becoming an Instructor

[tbone1004]

nothing about malevolent intent, but since you keep dodging or flat out refusing to answer the question about why you want to do this, we can't give you a good answer. While you are chasing the fast, cheap, and easy way out of this, there is much more to the agency than you hear on this forum. Do you want to have freedom in how you teach? You better not choose PADI. Do you want better name recognition that will help you attract divers? Better not choose some of the lesser known agencies like RAID, NASDS, NASE, PSAI, etc. because people won't be able to find you if you actually want to teach. Do you want to be able to teach for a dive shop? You better find the shop you want to teach with first and then go with the agency they are aligned with because most shops with an educational component will require you to teach with their agency.

Do you already know a CD? If so then you may want to align with them because they may waive a lot of the fees if you can give something to them in return in terms of teaching for them and helping put some money in their pocket with you teaching, especially if they are part of a dive shop.

GUE has a progression for instructors and you have to start at the bottom. No way around that.

Staying within an agency will always be easier than crossing over, but crossing over to NAUI will be more difficult than crossing over to TDI or PADI for technical.

read up here: I'm not trying to be a jackass, but while we can point blank answer your question, it may not be the question you actually want answered. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish. Look to the end of the journey and find the best way to get there, because the fastest/cheapest/easiest/best route to the end may not start with the fastest/cheapest/easiest route to OWSI. It may, but it isn't likely
THE DIVE BUM: Slow Ride
THE DIVE BUM: Are You a Diver or a Cert?
THE DIVE BUM: Why Do You DM?

 

[Michael Guerrero]

On the contrary TBone. I think this thread has been very useful thus far. Thanks for the links too.

 

[KevinNM]

I'm not lising GUE because I'm afraid it's crazy expensive to go through their IDC, but if that's not the case someone please let me know. And I'm assuming GUE differentiates between their Rec and Tec instructors, but no clue about this either.

Mark Messersmith had an article in Quest recently on how much it costs to become a GUE instructor. It is not cheap, and it is not cheap to remain a GUE instructor due the CE and recertification requirements, but it isn't crazy expensive. This assumes you are already a rock-solid GUE tech 2 or cave 2 diver.

 

[Bubblesong]

My WAG is the guy already has a job lined up in some paradise spot and just needs the documentation to get the job. My advice is go PADI because some other governments will lock you up if someone dies on your watch and you don't have the best known cert. Plus the backing of the Big Guys. Plus insurance paperwork wallpaping your tiny bunkroom.

 

[stuartv]

TDI instructor training has a prereq of TDI DiveMaster. TDI DiveMaster has a prereq of SDI DiveMaster and the Standards say that other agencies' DiveMaster equivalent is not an acceptable substitute. TDI specifically requires SDI DM.

But, from what I gleaned from my TDI tech instructor, he could take a DiveMaster candidate that has no prior DM cert and simply train them how he wants and cert them as an SDI and TDI DM all in one go.

As far as the cheapest, I have heard people talk about going to the Utila dive center in the Caribbean and places in Thailand to get their instructor training for quick/cheap. Relative values of currencies being what they are, the Caribbean or Thailand might be cheaper for you, even factoring in the travel.

 

[oya]

Anyone asking these questions shouldn't be an instructor.

I'm not saying "not ever." I'm just saying anyone who doesn't already know the answers to these questions has no business teaching anyone about this sport.

 

[boulderjohn]

TDI instructor training has a prereq of TDI DiveMaster. TDI DiveMaster has a prereq of SDI DiveMaster and the Standards say that other agencies' DiveMaster equivalent is not an acceptable substitute. TDI specifically requires SDI DM.

Is that new? I was a PADI instructor, and I became a TDI instructor without a problem.

After a few years, I decided TDI was not for me, and I crossed over to PADI for tech, too. It was not hard to make the switch.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

TDI DM was not required when I did my crossover in 2012. I did the SDI crossover and got TDI HOG reg tech and TDI Intro to Tech and Nitrox Instructor without TDI DM.
I did have NAUI Intro to Tech and Helitrox diver certs. In addition, the Advanced Class I offer through SEI actually has stricter requirements than Intro. For AN/DP and Advanced Wreck Instructor, I also did not need TDI DM. Spent a week with Steve Lewis getting those instructor certs.
As for what is the least expensive, in 2008 I could have gone with NAUI or YMCA Instructor. YMCA was 700 plus 200 for books. NAUI would have been 1800 plus books. I went YMCA. It closed. Did the SEI crossover for the cost of 1 years dues since it was essentially the same program.
In 2012 I did the SDI crossover at DEMA which cost me 395.00 (DEMA Special) and included 5 specialty certs I could teach. I've since added a few more. The crossover price included the standards and procedures for SDI and TDI plus a set of student materials for each class I could teach as well as the instructor materials.
For TDI Nitrox instructor I did have to do the online class. No problem since the same material was covered in the SEI Basic Nitrox class.
The crossover to SDI/TDI was painless.

 

[The Chairman]

OK, so this is going to sound bad, but what is the cheapest and fastest agency to become an instructor for?

Well, now that you mention it, it does sound rather bad. Whatever path you take to become an instructor will probably determine the type of students you'll be teaching. In other words, you'll probably attract students just like yourself. If you want to be a superior instructor, there are simply no shortcuts. While it's possible for a bad instructor to rise above mediocrity, you'll do yourself and your future students a favor by taking your time and doing it right from the beginning.

 

[Bubblesong]

Well, now that you mention it, it does sound rather bad. Whatever path you take to become an instructor will probably determine the type of students you'll be teaching. g.

Attracting equally frugal students who won't pay much or tip at all?